mwpdx86

Hey, I'm looking for some thread snips for thick/bonded nylon thread (tex 70-90 usually). Right now I'm using some Fiskars stitcher scissors and they seem great for the thread thickness. I'm looking for something a bit 'faster' though, like the spring loaded ones that you use with your whole hand instead of putting your fingers through the holes each time. I have a cheap pair of Fiskars thread snips that are faster but they kind of hang up on the thread I'm using. Does anybody make a pair of thread snips that are especially heavy duty?

Also, and this may be completely unrelated, the stitch length knob won't go smaller than three. The smaller I go, the tighter it feels and can't seem to get it to go past #3.

I've lubed all the parts that look lubeable, and it still seems to lock up intermittently. I've examined it a bit more too and when I release the tension via the knee lift, both the foot and the feed dog snap upwards (not back/forth as I had originally thought).

Not yet but I can try. I was under the impression that this was mostly a self oiling machine (apart from some of the walking foot mechanisms in back) but I can get in there and see what it looks like at least.

I have a Consew P1206RB and it seems to be working for the most part. Occasionally though (like one out of every 3-5 stitches) when running the machine very slowly or with the hand wheel, it seems like the feed dog and the inner foot (the one with the needle going through it) will sort of jam up. Like it turns fine, with almost no resistance, and then right when the foot comes down to meet the feed dog, it freezes up and is very hard or impossible to move/advance. Until recently, I had just been backing it off with the hand wheel a tiny bit, and then stepping on the pedal and that seemed to work usually. But then yesterday, I noticed that when this happens, if I hit the knee lifter just a little, something (I think the feed dog) makes a pretty noticeable 'sproing' sound and then it's easy to turn again. My completely inexperienced, in-my-head diagnosis is that the feed dog is sometimes moving backwards too slowly/quickly/not in sync with the foot and causing a weird jamming and then releasing the pressure with the knee lifter lets it slip back to where it should be and then everything works normally again for a few stitches. No idea if this is possible or whatever, that's just what it seems like feeling/listening to the machine. As far as I know, the machine has been this way since I got it a few months ago. I haven't used it a ton and I'm hoping I haven't been messing it up somehow by using it like this.

Do you have any recommendations for a brand/type of thread that should work? The stuff I got was just whatever bonded nylon machine thread they had at the local leather place. Thanks!

I think that's how it is. I meant that the inside foot is off the material when the take up lever is pulling up on the thread so the material sort of puckers/lifts.

Watching closely as it was stitching just now, I noticed that the center foot is way above the material when it's pulling the stitch tight. Not sure if this is how it's supposed to work, but it doesn't seem right. Almost like if you tried to sew with the foot up on a regular machine. ....?

It seems to be winding reasonably well, maybe a bit 'lumpy' sometimes but then it goes back and evens itself out, if that makes any sense. The bobbin winder was definitely not set up correctly when I got it though, so it's definitely an uncertainty. The knots are uneven, though, like you said (some centered, some on top, some on the bottom). The thread itself feels very stiff, which may be part of the problem. Kind of like crinkley fishing line or something. It feels rough coming out of the bobbin case no matter what the tension is set to.

The needles it came with were 160 (23) which had been sort of working with the thinner thread but I figured they'd work even better with the right size thread (138). I'm wondering if there's a bobbin issue. It seems pretty rough when it comes out of the bobbin case. Not like there's too much tension exactly but kind of jerky/catchy. This happens even when there's no tension on the bobbin (the little metal tab isn't touching the thread). I'm thinking maybe I wound it wrong somehow or...??

I recently purchased a new consew p1206rb and am trying to use it with 138 thread in the top and bottom. It had been working great with 69 thread in both. With the 138 though, I find I'm having to crank the tension knob down as tight as it will go. It seems to work ok this way but I'm guessing you shouldn't have to max out the tension under regular circumstances? I'm 99% sure I've got it threaded correctly but maybe not? Is there anything else that usually causes something like this? Thanks!

This thing is a monster! Finally got it set up and sewing and the claims of "sews anything it can fit under the foot" are pretty accurate, as far as I can tell. It definitely takes a bit of getting used to but I love the way it just chomps right through stuff that would throw my other machine into a panic attack. I'm still fine tuning (maybe?) the oil output to the hook, I think. It keeps getting oil on/around the needle holes, especially noticeable on leather/etc. I can't really find any detailed information about this, just briefly mentioned in some videos an the manual. I'm also using the needles it came with which are way too large for the thread I was able to find locally. It came with 160 size needles, and the only thread I could find locally in small/test amounts was 69/70. It works *ok* but the stitches seem a bit loose. I think I'm going to get some 138 or 207 thread in the large spools tomorrow, assuming anywhere is open on labor day. I'd prefer to get the 207 but it sounds like maybe 207 only works with this machine if you use 138 in the bobbin? Can't find too much information about this either but hopefully I can get it to work ok with 207 in both the bobbin and the top thread. We'll see, I guess.

Does anybody know if there are any places to get industrial sewing supplies (needles/thread/etc, not machines necessarily) in or around Eugene, Oregon? Mostly looking for heavy weight thread (135-207 or so) and needles to handle said thread (135x17 or 135x16). I have an industrial sewing machine coming in the mail today and I'm not sure what supplies it comes with but I'd like to start using it asap, assuming it doesn't come with needles/thread. Thanks!

Done! Pulled the trigger on a Consew P1206rb that should be arriving today. It's both a huge relief (I've been agonizing over this decision for a number of months now) and a bit terrifying as I'm not sure what to expect from a machine like this. At least they seem to have pretty good resale value on craigslist, I guess.

It's the 4452/4432/whatever the Joann's one is. It's basically a home machine that maybe goes a bit faster? I'm assuming it's just geared a bit faster (and thus less torquey) but doesn't actually have a more powerful motor or anything, which I guess is sort of the opposite of what I want at the moment. At the time, I mostly just wanted an upgrade from the "it's-good-because-it's-metal" goodwill specials I kept buying.

The p1206rb is another one I was looking at. I wasn't sure about the safety clutch. I don't know how likely it is that I'll throw out the timing (or trip the safety clutch on a machine that has one) with what I'm doing. Does that normally just happen when you try to sew something too heavy or when the needle flexes and hits the plate (that's been happening a lot on my home machine)?? Are there other important differences between the 206rb5 and the p1206rb? The price difference doesn't seem too important if the 206rb is significantly better for some reason.

Yeah, I was kind of leaning towards the 206, but wasn't sure if it was overkill for my purposes. Any machine I get would for sure have a servo motor before I'd be able to use it, judging by the videos on youtube. The cylinder arm machines look like they'd be great for a lot of what I want to do, but it seems like they're usually quite a bit more expensive. I've found an online dealer who has the top/bottom feed machines for just over 1000 and the 206 for just over 1300, w/ servo motor and shipping. It seems like the cylinder arm ones usually start at about 2000.

Alright, so I know this is a leather sewing forum, but every time I google a potential new sewing machine model number, I end up here, so I figured it'd be a good place to ask. I've been sewing for a little bit on a singer 'heavy duty', I think I'm sort of getting to the limits of what the machine is capible of (in terms of material thickness/etc, not sewing skill or whatever, obviously). I'm going to be using mostly canvas (15-24oz) but also leather and other heavy materials to makes bags/wallets/etc. I think 99% of what I'm doing will only be a couple layers of medium-heavy canvas with the occasional seam or piece of heavier material. It would be nice if it could also handle thinner material for bag linings/etc but it seems like most of them don't have that broad of a range. It seems like the Consew 206rb-5 is a pretty popular option, especially for the heavier end of what I'd like to do. I'm also looking at the sort of in between walking foot machines like the Juki 1181 and the Consew 205rb-1. I understand these are only top and bottom feed machines and don't have the needle feed that the 206 has but thought maybe they'd do better with thinner stuff and ok with thicker stuff? I saw that both of these machines have the automatic oil pump, which you should only use if you're sewing pretty fast? I think I'd be going pretty slowly most of the time, not because of material thickness or anything, just lack of sewing skill. Would it work to unthread the machine and run it at full speed for a bit before/after use or should it be pretty much all the time? Any suggestions or other machines I should look at would be a huge help, thanks!!